Showing posts with label Cincinnati Bengals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cincinnati Bengals. Show all posts

Friday, September 21, 2018

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 2: Down To The Ground

Wait, the main FOX crew's doing the NFL Network games too? Jeez. Talk about slumming it. Man, the Ravens completely overhauled their wide receivers. All three guys are new. Green can't handle that one. Both teams exchange punts, with the Ravens fumbling their return but getting it back. Flacco IMMEDIATELY gets intercepted. Pass into the end zone gets deflected and... intercepted? Incomplete. Referees discuss it and change it to an interception by Weddle. Now they can review it and this is getting overturned — Weddle's left foot was out of bounds. It's overturned. The Ravens' C.J. Mosley being carted off. Ravens get called for DPI in the end zone. Dalton rolls out and finds Green for the touchdown. Lamar Jackson in at receiver, and Flacco goes to Crabtree for a first down. Is this intentional grounding? Refs say Flacco's forward progress was stopped before his throw, so it's a sack. Buck seems skeptical of that reasoning.







Dalton finds Green in traffic,and Green gets out of traffic and scores after breaking a tackle. 14-0 Bengals. Bengals driving AGAIN. Penalty on 3rd and 13 keeps the drive going. Green AGAIN!! And it's not like the Ravens aren't covering him. He's just been that good.





The Bengals have scored 45 straight points going back to Sunday. Jackson back in, this time at quarterback, but Sam Hubbard just blew up whatever the Ravens may have been planning there. John Brown makes a big catch in traffic (he's not as large as Green) for a 45-yard gain. Pass interference in the end zone gives the Ravens the ball at the 1. Buck Allen scores. Apparently Collinsworth trolled Aikman by telling him he'd be relaxing at home watching this game tonight. Dalton finds Tyler Boyd down the sideline for 21. Boyd again on third down. And this time it's Boyd for the touchdown. Ravens in four-down territory at the 2-minute warning. THE FIRST ONE. Ravens hold and the Bengals have to punt. Flacco airmails it for Brown, but Dre Kirkpatrick bumps him slightly (Incidental contact; no reason to throw a flag) and drops an interception. Then he gets flagged for pass interference and it's Ravens ball at the 1. Alex Collins gets stuffed on first down. This time Crabtree pushes off Kirkpatrick, but the Bengals called time out, so the play doesn't count. FINALLY Flacco finds rookie TE Mark Andrews for a touchdown.




Justin Tucker from 55 and the touchdown run is snapped. 28-17 Bengals. Another interception from Flacco. Things have slowed down considerably. Ravens pick up 3rd and 1 on a Flacco sneak. Touchdown John Brown! Bengals want a penalty but won't get it. Two-point conversion fails but it's still a five-point game with 9:35 left. Actually, Collinsworth is here, as the Bengals honored the 1988 Super Bowl team. Mixon back for the Bengals. First down after a penalty after an incompletion on 3rd and 2. Bengals can't make 3rd and 15, but they're at the Ravens' 11 for what should be an easy field goal. It's good, and it's 31-23. Flacco rolls out... that is a fumble. Bengals take over. Field goal makes it 34-23. 48 seconds left — the Ravens should spike it and kick the field goal right now. They spike it, but they keep running plays. Harbaugh has botched this and they won't get the ball back.  Hey, this score looks familiar. (Bengals 34, Ravens 23)

Signal Finder: KC @ PIT, PHI @ TB, MIN @ GB (end), NE @ JAX, OAK @ DEN (end)

The Chiefs force a three-and-out, so the Steelers punt it short of Tyreek Hill. But DeAnthony Thomas IS there, and he returns it for 31 yards, and then 12 more after he bobbled the ball. Travis Kelce dinged for OPI. Mahomes with a bullet to Chris Conley for the touchdown. Hey, it's Sammy Watkins. Hey, there he is again. Touchdown Kelce! Steelers driving finally. Third down pass is too high and Boswell MISSES from 49. Now an end around to Watkins, who's given them some big plays already. Mahomes to Hill for a touchdown!




21-0 and they're booing softly in Pittsburgh. Sack/fumble/Chiefs touchdown is negated by defensive holding on Orlando Scandrick, who, remarkably, is still in the league. Ben finds Juju. Steelers clicking again. Ben throws up a lob and Road Dogg catches it for a touchdown. Steelers driving again. Screen to Juju to the outside gives them first and goal. Too high for James. Juju in the corner for the touchdown. Missed extra point.




The Chiefs' offense has ground to a halt. That's kind of a ridiculous over-the-shoulder catch by James. Conner tries his best OBJ impression but lands out of bounds, but there was pass interference. Touchdown Steelers! Two-point conversion succeeds and we're tied. 21-21 at halftime. Second half starts similarly to the first — with a big play. This time it's Mahomes to Hill for 36. Mahomes to Kelce for the touchdown. Juju's just gonna run away from linebackers, guys. Is that an honest-to-goodness fullback? This is close. It's called a touchdown and I think it'll stand. Yep. Put it on the board for Conner. We're tied again. That hair is terrible. The Steelers cannot tackle Travis Kelce.




Touchdown Chiefs. Incomplete, they now say. Nah, that's a catch. Throw the flag, Andy. Call reversed. Touchdown. Mahomes just missed Watkins. The doctor gets flagged for illegal use of hands. Concerning. Hill! SIX. TOUCHDOWN. PASSES.




A safety breaks up the monotony. Chiefs fumble! Steelers have it! Big gain by James. Great pass breakup by new Chief Kendall Fuller, keeping Brown out of the end zone. Roethlisberger takes off and... SCORES? Yes! Extra point is good. Chiefs running clock successfully. Steelers force a punt on 4th and 6... and run into the punter. (Chiefs 42, Steelers 37)

It is HOT. SON OF A GOD DAMN BITCH.




I fucking hate him. I always have. Eagles follow up with a three-and-out on offense. That's a good punt. Ryan Fitzpatrick protects the football? What?? 43-yard punt return by Clement nullified by a penalty. Ajayi out with a back injury. Two straight first downs for the Eagles. Then two straight penalties, and three on the last four plays. 2nd and 40! That ended how you imagine it did. Now the Bucs face a 3rd and 21, and that also ended how you imagine it did. Foles scrambles for a first down. Foles loses the ball, and it's ruled a fumble and the Bucs recover. That's close, but I think it stands. Confirmed. Well then. The Eagles get it back two plays later off of a deflection! JPP with the sack. Punt lands right on the goal line. Mike Evans with a straight-up drop. The Bucs haven't done much offensively since that first play. Ertz with a first down catch. Pass interference on Chris Conte, who is bad. Josh Perkins gets a catch? Feels like the Eagles are throwing too much on this drive. Agholor gets spun around and comes up short on 3rd and 7, it looks like. Length of the football. Pederson's going for it. Foles sneak gets it. Ertz was open on that first-down breakdown. Touchdown Clement! O.J. Howard for a 75-yard touchdown!




He caught six passes in his entire career at Alabama, only in bowl games, and they were ALL like this. (I'm exaggerating. Sort of.) He got help from a great block by Chris Godwin on Jenkins. Extra point is MISSED. Bucs actually driving this time. Eagles forget to cover Godwin and he's wide open for a touchdown. 20-7. Foles finds Ertz down the sideline. Elliott CLANGS from 42. Nothing going right. Ajayi back out to start the second half. Ertz has to come back to his and he's short. Pederson going for it on 4th and 4 from the Tampa 49. Doesn't work. DeSean with a catch inside the 10. Cox walks off. Fitzpatrick finds Evans in the back of the end zone. I know FitzMagic has never been sustainable but is there a chance Jameis Winston doesn't get his job back in two weeks? This is his sixth start against the Eagles,and for his sixth team. He started the Eagles-Bengals tie? Wild.
Big pass play to Agholor. Conte's replacement stops Agholor on a reverse. Fourth and 1 from the Bucs' 5. Foles sneak again works. Touchdown Ajayi. Jenkins strips the ball from Evans and the Eagles have it. Clement takes a shot while laying out for that 4th down pass and he's slow to get up.




Agholor's gotta call for a fair catch there. Was that a catch? Eh, no matter, DPI gives the Eagles a first down. Eagles are going for it on 4th because they ran Ajayi on third. Crazy catch by Agholor in the back corner of the end zone for the touchdown, and then he hurdles a cameraman afterwards. Do you onside kick here? They do not. Hmmm. DeSean beats Mills again, and that might be it. Pitchy pitchy woo woo fails as always. Just a bad loss all around. (Buccaneers 27, Eagles 21)

Someone hit Cam and actually got flagged for it? It's a new age. (Falcons 31, Panthers 24)




WOW! Taylor put just enough on that ball and put it in just the right place for Callaway. That looked like a sure overthrow.


So. Browns. And we're in the Superdome, so you can guess how it went from here. (Saints 21, Browns 18)




Oh, no, bad Mason Crosby. Packers going to overtime because of some BS. Cook with a big run. Replay of the hit in question. Yeah, I get the rule, but that wasn't what happened there. New Vikings rookie kicker Daniel Carlson from 49. Not even CLOSE. Packers forced to punt. Thielen! Vikings grinding clock. Carlson on again. ARE YOU SERIOUS.








That's a terrible loss for the Packers. Also a Scorigami but you probably figured that. (Vikings 29, Packers 29, OT)

Wait, Donte Moncrief's on the Jaguars now? He just caught a touchdown pass. KEENAN COLE THOUGH. That's the OBJ catch but over the opposite shoulder. Corey Grant making people miss. Touchdown Cole! Eric Rowe beaten both times. 14-0. Keep putting the pressure on. Everyone on the Patriots' sideline is angry. Slow going for the Pats' offense. Hey, there's rookie Sony Michel. That's helmet-to-helmet, yeah. Field goal is good. Bortles again. Touchdown Jags! 21-3 at halftime.




Bortles to Cole for 14. Nantz points out that this is happening despite no Fournette and losing their left tackle early in the game. Cole remains uncovered. BORTLES SCRAMBLE. That elusiveness. First and goal! Somehow Bortles is third-all time in yards per rush by a quarterback, behind Vick and Bobby Douglass. There'll be no touchdown on this drive.




Gronk's been silenced. 2 catches, 8 yards? Brady overthrows Philip Dorsett, who's bad. Rookie D.J. Chark gets the ball knocked out and the Pats recover. Uh-oh.




Michel bulls through the line. Brady to Hogan for the touchdown. Jaguars can't answer. James White with a big run. Cordarrelle Patterson's on the Patriots? He just fell down after catching a pass on 3rd and 4. Field goal is good.




Bortles throws an interception off Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who's had more than his share of bad luck against the Patriots. Pats ball at the Jacksonville 25. FUMBLE. Jaguars ball! Dante Fowler does his best Brandon Graham impression. Bortles collides with Stephon Gilmore and is stopped short on 3rd and 5. Go for it, Jaguars. FALSE START. Christ. Now they gotta punt. Jags challenging the spot. This seems close... could this actually work? Overturned and short. Fourth down and the Patriots punt.




Jags jumped offsides but nobody saw it. Dede Westbrook? DEDE WESTBROOK! TOUCHDOWN! Hey, Philip Dorsett actually caught a pass. Patterson again. Touchdown to Hogan. Patriots kick it off short. Niles Paul? Really? I don't know if the Pats' defense is still that bad but Bortles has been legitimately great. The Patriots aren't gonna get the ball back, are they? NOPE. Lessons learned. Feels like the Patriots have had an early-season flop the lat few years. This lessens the pain. (Jaguars 31, Patriots 20)

In his last three games, Matt Patricia-coached defenses have given up 119 points to Nick Foles, Sam Darnold, and Jimmy Garoppolo. (49ers 30, Lions 27)

Get out of bounds, kid! That was dicey. McManus in. Kickers haven't had the best day today. It's GOOD! (Broncos 20, Raiders 19)

TAVON AUSTIN. Glad somebody finally got something out of him after five years.




I mean, yeah. That's why you make that mistake. Big run by Elliott. Austin again.




Now Dak with a run and the Cowboys have found some meat on that left side. Drive stalls, but the field goal is good this week. My answer to last week question of "Do the Giants even have four good linebackers" is probably "no" on first glance. TACO. That was an... interesting way to field that punt. What are the Giants doing? At least they went for it that time. Dak finds Terrence Williams. That didn't last long. The Giants still can't protect Eli. Another punt. Cowboys have controlled this game but they haven't done much since the first two drives. Meanwhile, the Giants can't do anything at all.




And the Giants start the second half by letting Eli get sacked and fumble. Poor tackling by the Giants leads to a first down. No idea what Dak was trying to do there. That ball's never landing inbounds. Cowboys settle for three. Eli throws over a double-covered Beckham and it still almost gets picked. He then finds Cody Latimer (?) for a big gain into Cowboys territory.




Someone's down for the Giants. Is that a leg brace or an air cast? Whatever it is, it looks bad. Cart's out. Eli overthrows Sterling Shepard. Eli tries to run and gets wrecked by Jaylon Smith. Kicker is out. Field goal is good. Beckham out to return this punt. Eli sacked again. That's, what, six? Prescott picks up a first down on a fourth-down sneak. Elliott gets to the second level. Cowboys in the red zone. Elliott appears to get stuffed on 3rd and 2, then cuts left to get the first down, then scores. We're done here. Can we get a Sean Lee update? Oh, their top draft pick is in. Eli finds an uncovered Engram for a touchdown that likely won't amount to much. Giants recover the onside kick? OK then. Beckham was going to get creamed either way on that ball into the end zone. Giants should have kicked the field goal by now. They're botching this the same way the Ravens did on Thursday night.




They do with 14 seconds left, and now Sean Lee's back out with the hands team for some reason. This was a fast game. It's not even 11:30. Kudos to all involved for that, at least. (Cowboys 20, Giants 13)

Russ almost fumbles that away but is ruled down. The Seahawks haven't scored on their opening drive in almost two seasons (31 games).




Trubisky SCRAMBLING. Breaking tackles, even. Trubisky sidearms a laser just past new Seahawk Mychal Kendricks to Jordan Howard, who takes off for 17 yards. Shovel pass to Burton for the touchdown.




Wilson not making optimal decisions, such as throwing to a double-covered tight end. TARIK COHEN PUNT RETURN. Not to the house, but he does get to the 40. That looks like a first down, but I'm not sure. They measure and it's about a yard short. The Bears go for it and Howard picks it up. Trubisky makes a bad read on an option and the Seahawks snuff it. Wilson was lucky he wasn't sacked in the end zone there. Trubisky underthrows Robinson and it's picked by Shaquill Griffin (the older of the Griffin twins and has also been in the league longer). Seahawks still can't get the ball moving. Tipped and picked AGAIN By Shaquill! Looks like Kendricks tipped it. DOWN AND DISTANCE TRACKER: RIGHT side. Um, block Khalil Mack, Seahawks. Um, BLOCK KHALIL MACK, SEAHAWKS. It's like 4th and 56 now. (26. Apples and oranges.)




Bad snap, bad punt. This game may end 7-0. Trubisky finds Cohen downfield after the play breaks down. Robinson stretches and converts 3rd and 5. Urlacher in the house! He's getting his Hall of Fame ring tonight. Direct snap to Burton? Are these the Chicago Bears? Field goal is good. Trevathan with a sack and that's five this half. Wilson saves this drive with a scramble. Are they bringing on Seabass here? Yep. They look like basketball shorts on him. Janikowski from 56. Easy as pie. 10-3 Bears at the half. Kendricks with a sack for the Seahawks.




DOWN AND DISTANCE TRACKER: LEFT side. Carroll calls time out to figure out this third down call. Pressure breaks down the Seattle offensive line (again) (shocker) and a swing pass to Mike Davis comes up short. Is Eddie Lacy still in the league? Seahawks punt. Bears aren't doing a great job of getting Taylor Gabriel in space — his speed is nullified when he's in traffic like that. Like that. That's better. They're doing a lot of this on this drive. Trubisky rolls left and hits Anthony Miller for the touchdown. Wilson somehow finds Tyler Lockett on 3rd and 14. Was he down? Yeah, his knee's down. No fumble. The Seahawks' offensive line also cannot block anyone. Amukamara gets hit with illegal contact. Did Lockett CATCH that? Touchdown! A dropkick kickoff? Really? I mean, it worked. WOW. Amukamara just picked the Seahawks' pocket. 24-10 Bears and that might be the ball game. Seahawks pick up a first down and now need to speed up. Fumble! Bears ball! THAT'S game.




I don't think Wilson ever saw Trevathan. So what's the issue on this punt? Bears touched it first so it's just a touchback, right? Nope, Seahawks ball at the 1. ESPN replaced Gerry Austin with JEFF TRIPLETTE? That's actually a downgrade. Seahawks running out of time. Touchdown with 14 seconds left. Dropkick ONSIDE kick. Yeah, that ain't happening. (Bears 24, Seahawks 17)


Tuesday, January 28, 2014

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth: Kinetic Slide

Uh-oh. Jamaal Charles is already walking off the field? That's potentially awful. Smith got chased on that 2nd and goal pass and it could have been disastrous. Bowe just got across the line. They're gonna wear Luck's arm out at this rate. It's all Hilton, all the time right now. That didn't take long. I don't know if the Chiefs kick this field goal if Charles is healthy. Then again. who knows what Andy'll ever do down here. The Colts have too many Boston College guys to be taken seriously. (Same for the Patriots and Rutgers, which I've discussed before.) So Donnie Avery outran everyone. That's two long pass plays so far. FUMBLE. Poor Trent Richardson, who's throwing up in his mouth on the sideline. (Not literally.)

SHOVEL PASS. Dump that "Song #2" remix ASAP, NBC DJ. The Colts really need Hilton to not be hurt badly if they want a shot to come back from this. Luck in the shotgun on 4th and inches? NICE. Slide! There he is. Man, somebody catch something. Andy's screen game has always been on point. Mayock's convinced the Colts' corners Davis and Toler are still hurt. He won't stop talking about it. I mean, he may be right — Toler's already left the game — but simmer down already. 31-10? That's a final. Who says the Chiefs can't score? Hilton tripped himself out of at least 10 more yards. Where was Luck going with that pass? Double coverage? That was the slowest non-fat guy return ever.

Oh, boy, that's another bad pass by Luck. Touchdown! This may officially be out of hand. Whoa! Nice catch by Rogers. Was Brown even touched? Fumble! Wait, hang on, that's pretty close to the sideline... did he have it? Yeah, I can't overturn that. Big break for the Colts.
Mentioned because Pagano appears to have Belichicked him. Here we go... this is the other thing that Luck does a lot of. These anonymous non-Hilton receivers are playing much better this half. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are running out of players. Good stop by the Colts defense after that touchdown. Uh-oh. Bad throw and everything, but it was in Hilton's hands and he couldn't hold on to it.The worst part of all of these Colt turnovers is that the Chiefs keep scoring points afterwards. Lots of big gains on this drive. That touchdown to Fleener was a bullet. There is plenty of time left in this game.


Dude's catching passes all over the place. I think this happened in their first meeting, too; just not to this destructive extent. Way to jinx Donald Brown's fumbling, Hicks. Wait, Luck did WHAT?!?!


How does no one see him? Or get to him before he crosses the goal line? The ball went backwards. Anything's possible at this point. The Chiefs are down to their third-string running back. Why are they calling time outs? That was puzzling. All that and now they're only up six with five-plus minutes left. OH MY GOD.
You know what the Chiefs could use is a couple of time outs. GROUNDING. A timeout AFTER THE TWO MINUTE WARNING? SERIOUSLY?

That was ridiculous. In every way possible. (Colts 45, Chiefs 44)

All right... let's do this.

You don't see Brees short hop a throw that often. Debris on the field? What is this, a NASCAR race? Oh, crap, did the Eagles jump on 4th and 2? NO! Spectacular. A couple of Brees' throws have been off already. Who kicked that into the end zone? CUT HIM.


OOPS. Interception! That ball kind of died up there and Stills couldn't adjust. Hey, McCoy gained yards on a carry. That hadn't happened yet. The fans are booing, which probably means the field goal team is out. Oh, it's a Saints injury that they're not buying. Bad move if it IS a fake, though — they're just giving Chip more time to decide what he wants to do. And McCoy got it anyway. Then Foles takes a bad sack and wastes the effort.

Then Henery misses a field goal that should have been 20 yards shorter than it was. Possible turnover here? He MIGHT be down. It's close. The other thing is, if he's ruled down (reversing the call), he's also short of the first down. Yep, they overturned it. Another false start? Wow. I didn't see him move on the replay. So six minutes into the second quarter and we have our first points.


I think Brees is the Saints' leading rusher so far. ANOTHER interception! They're not booing; they're saying "Coop." "American Bandstand"? Really? I think the DJ emptied his "Philadelphia" folder two weeks ago. Uh-oh, Foles is holding the ball again. Touchdown! Thank God Cooper got open.


That hold Brees begged for and got on Cox was the latest flag ever. Like, 2002 NCAA national title game late. I mean, it probably was a hold, but it's disingenuous as hell. That time the three-man rush worked. Moore on the touchdown was the first Saint tonight to get away from a defender after the catch. Cooper may have just dropped another touchdown, which hasn't happened very often this season. That's the first time Colston's seen the ball tonight and it won't count. Ingram's running like his job is at stake, and it kind of is. Did he get in? He did — you can tell from the other side. At least the Flyers just went ahead? And the Sixers are leading the Blazers by the same score IN PORTLAND. What's weird about the way this is playing out is that the Eagles' run defense was actually almost good this year. DeSean! Finally! Also he was held twice but whatever.


Touchdown McCoy. MOTOWNPHILLY. YES.

Good punt return by DeSean. Now it's the Eagles who are abusing this kid #38. And really, for a good #38 in the NFL you probably have to go all the way back to George Rogers. Oh boy. Now what? Fourth and 1 from the opponent's 6 in a six-point playoff game in the fourth quarter... I don't like kicking the field goal here. There's a false start on the field goal attempt, which pretty much settles that decision. I expect Patrick Chung to be plying his trade elsewhere next season. At least the Saints only got three out of it.


That's a BIG pass interference penalty. TOUCHDOWN. Either Jackson or Ertz was getting that one.


Horse collar on top of a big return by Sproles? Not good. It's weird having the Saints be in a position of having to prove something but here we are. Where'd this Robinson guy come from? Damn it. The worst part is the Saints are almost too far away from the end zone for the Eagles to just let them score. Think about this, Saints. Do you REALLY want to go back to Seattle? THINK ABOUT THIS.

And that's that. Well, that was fun while it lasted. (Saints 26, Eagles 24)

What, they couldn't get Ken Anderson to do the game intro with Fouts? I mean, I know Boomer's on staff but he wasn't in that game. (Was he even in college yet?) So this Green kid on the Chargers is their other tight end, yet I don't think he ever lines up as one. This drive feels like someone's picking at a scab, which would make the Wood head touchdown drawing blood. Wow, Dalton missed Bernard badly on that one.


Obligatory chili montage. And Rivers misses Allen badly to counter.

Dalton almost got plastered on that touchdown pass, and Gresham almost didn't catch it. I should mention at some point that the Chargers have lost their starting center, which makes this about the 5,791st offensive line combination they've used this season. And King Dunlap had a really good year, which is stunning to me. Really, McCoy? That's the kind of low-reward, doomed-to-fail challenge that Marvin usually pulls.

Nice catch on the sideline by Jones again. Nooooo Gio! Wait, was he down? Oh, OK, he definitely wasn't — I'm asking the wrong question. Yeah, turning and taking two steps is a football move. Hey, they got it right! Good job, sirs. Fans are booing and the clock's running. Oh, he didn't go forward? That's a rule? I did not know that. Why are they reviewing the catch? This actually benefits the Bengals because it stops the clock, and even more if it's an incomplete pass because they should get those eight seconds or whatever back. So it's a catch.

So the spike DOESN'T COUNT? Now they have to kick this, like, immediately. Is Shannon Sharpe wearing purple velvet? Punting at midfield isn't appreciably better, Bengals. The Chargers are walking down this field and now they have the lead back. Dumb dive, Dalton, whether this is a fumble or not. I mean, that's WHY you slide, so nothing can happen to you. It's a fumble, and he would have been short of the first down even if it hadn't been. Like I said, dumb dive. Hey, it's raining. The blitz caused that interception. Wait, James Harrison just committed a needlessly stupid and dangerous penalty? That's never happened before. That's a semi-critical stop by Maualuga. I say semi-critical because the Bengals' offense has done absolutely nothing this half. I mean, A.J. Green has three catches.
More field goals! Oh. That's just a bad everything by Dalton.




Wow. Green had double coverage beaten and still couldn't hang on. That's the way things have gone for the Bengals today. And the fourth down throw goes five yards over the receiver's head. Shut it down. What, again? I mean, make it stop. We don't need to play these last five minutes. The Bengals aren't coming back. You know who's even more pissed right now? Steelers fans. I meant to mention this earlier but I'm a but surprised Ronnie Brown's gotten so much run in this game. Did Mathews get hurt and I missed it?


(Chargers 27, Bengals 10)


Good Lord, this field looks like a farm yard. I'm looking for feeding troughs and chicken coops. Someone got crossed up on that failed 3rd down. They're going for it? Yeah, I guess they have to — 4th and 6 from the opposing 40 is no man's land. What the... seriously? Harbaugh burns timeouts like he's the brother who coached under Andy Reid for six years. Does Kaepernick always roll left? Even on run plays? Man, Shields and Neal are already out for Green Bay. The Packers have attempted one pass so far. Kaepernick screwed that one up. And why throw in Williams' direction, anyway? They'd done so well picking on House.

And from the air, the field looks like a dirt race track. Daniel Snyder sees nothing wrong with this.


Hey, the Packers are throwing the ball now! About time, McCarthy. And Rodgers finishes it off with an actual frozen rope to Nelson. There's the big Kaepernick run that the Packers always give up. Gore lives up to his name. Buck called that Eric Reid interception like he knew it was coming back. It feels like the Packers haven't stopped throwing once they finally started. They have been mixing in the run, but it doesn't feel like they have. They may as well just run a play on third down here with the clock running. Just not THAT one. And didn't they have a time out left? Well, they got three out of it. We are seeing some historically bad timeout management and the second half just started. That was all quite ineffective. Another one? Andy Reid is shaking his head.


Other than that, this third quarter has been pretty much a non-event except for Brent Celek's little brother catching a pass and Rodgers getting sacked twice in a row. The Packers are really working the run game on this drive. WOW. How did the 49ers let Rodgers get away there? And a Kuhn run seals it. He doesn't make his money with his hops, I'll tell you that much. Attacking House was bound to yield a flag at some point. Now he's hurt?


Nice spin by Davis to catch that. Both of these guys can bring serious velocity on their throws. Getting Rodgers back these last two weeks has done so much for the Packers' offense and that's obvious, but getting Cobb back at the same time really does add another layer. That probably should have been a touchdown.


Every big run Kaepernick's had today — and against the Packers in general — has been to the left side, whether Clay's been there or not. (And it's telling that I'm only now mentioning that Clay Matthews hasn't played today.)

This ending feels... familiar. (49ers 23, Packers 20)


Sunday, November 17, 2013

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 9: Salvage Ops


Then a game-ending safety in overtime. That's the most Bengals way to lose ever. (Dolphins 22, Bengals 20, OT)

Signal Finder: SD @ WAS, PHI @ OAK, PIT @ NE

As well as things had been going for the Saints up until this game, what's gotten lost is that Marques Colston, who sat today out, has not had a good season.It's weird to say that Brees threw for 382 yards and was somehow held in check. A reverse to a tight end on 4th and short? The Saints on the road, man...

(Jets 26, Saints 20)

All that and it gets blocked. That's unfortunate. The Redskins have been getting owned on special teams so far — that and two punts downed at the 1. Wait, what? Touchdown! The deflection hit another Charger in the back. Then the Redskins almost fumble the ensuing kickoff? This'll end badly. Now we got a Rivers interception and a donnybrook and flags all over the place.


Rivers has had to survive his pocket breaking down a few times already. I just saw the worst offensive pass interference call ever. Oh my goodness.

Isn't Griffin tall enough to avoid getting his throws deflected like that? I'm not sure why Fouts is advocating they run out the clock if they think they can move the ball and get into field goal position. Of course it has to work... ANOTHER block? Somebody needs to get fired. That's a fantastic catch by Garcon and the worst defensive pass interference ever. Was he in? That's close. Nope, he didn't quite make it. If at first you don't succeed...That's how you finish off a nine-minute drive. Take note, yourselves. Keenan Allen may have just dropped a touchdown. WOLFPACK CIVIL WAR. Dude made a flying leap to pick that one. Hey, this kick didn't get blocked! PROGRESS. Shanahan challenging this Woodhead play and he might have a case here — the ball's definitely coming out. Or not. And the Chargers end up in the end zone. Not sure why the Redskins are setting up for an onside kick here... there's plenty of time for the Chargers to get the ball back. Why not run the ball here, Chargers? Still enough time. Hey Redskins? NICE COVERAGE. There was no one within five yards of Allen. Kid is clowning these fools right now. Rivers on the run is a hilarious sight. They gave Woodhead that touchdown? I don't think he made it. He sure didn't. What's with this play calling? Terrible. Two bad passes by Rivers and the Chargers have to kick it. Overtime! The Redskins are running down the field. That's not a penalty either.




By the same token, the Chargers' play calling cost them this game. (Redskins 30, Chargers 24, OT)


Between this and the Redskins game, the NFC East averted disaster this week. (Cowboys 27, Vikings 23)


Maybe they should move to Candlestick. Eagles defer the kickoff, which is probably the right choice. RAIDERS PENALTIES. Eagle bring the blitz and no one's left in coverage. Wait... did you guys see that? Did you see what just happened? Trent Cole got a sack! Then the Eagles run into the punter and give up a first down. Why is Kurt Coleman still in the league? Also, former special teams coach Bobby April is in this building. Good job by Nate Allen to run down Pryor after that prolonged rollout, and I mean that. Holy crap, Cooper showing off the wheels again. Is it just me or is the offense running at its optimal speed for the first time in a few weeks? Touchdown and it'll stand. Foles looked good. Holy crap Rod Streater. Allen holding on to his jersey for about 15 yards is the only thing that saved them there. And Cary Williams gets bailed out by holding on the Raiders offensive line. You don't really need to hold Brandon Graham, my man. Has Pryor stayed in the pocket once yet?




John Madden in the house! And a Bryce Brown sighting! And he went up the middle! Truly a stunning development. Whoa, from here that looked like Cooper wasn't inbounds but it turns out he got it. Nice throw by Foles. Earl Wolff could have killed Pryor there. DeSean should return punts forever. He shouldn't do that, though. D.J. Hayden is getting used and abused.

And bear in mind that man watched last year's Eagles. Terrelle Pryor is really fast, guys. The Eagles were looking out of sorts until DeSean got free for the first down. The pace of this game, though. Celek should have been stopped before he got the first down and he got 15 more yards. Ertz! That's his first one, right? Running into the kicker? Hmmm. 4th and 1 now... does Chip roll the dice and go for it? I thought he might try it Well, if anyone can be drawn offsides in this spot, it's the Raiders. Boykin tripped himself out of a touchdown maybe. So they called that a backward pass? Sure. That's... not roughing the passer. Put it on the board! This is madness. That's the second Raiders defensive back to fall down and give up a touchdown. Hey, they finally stopped Cooper! I guess they gotta use that torch for something. Gruden lit it a couple years ago, which seems really strange. Why are the Raiders running the ball down 29 points? That's an amazing throw by Foles and Hayden actually covered Jackson pretty well this time. Cooper AGAIN. He can't be stopped OR contained.

The Raiders aren't this bad. Right? That almost-fumble by Pryor makes me realize that we haven't had any turnovers yet. THE VERY NEXT PLAY. That was tipped and should have been caught. Pryor hesitated and was lost. Is Foles going back out there to try to get the record? Who owns a Jim McMahon Eagles jersey? Besides that guy, obviously. Another deflection leads to another pick. They pulled Foles? BOOOOOO. Pryor walking off also means that we're getting a MATT McGLOIN sighting soon. And there that is. Amazing he's on an NFL roster and a tribute to Bill O'Brien, who turned him into a Division I quarterback.

EVER. (Eagles 49, Raiders 20)

Gronk is a giant. Polamalu jumped offside. That guy didn't get in — they better review this. Good reversal. Wow, the Steelers stopped them. Nice work. And then Ben is pressured, throws a crappy pass and it gets intercepted. And Amendola scores immediately. Where's the coverage? I turn back and the Steelers somehow have a 3rd and 30 and almost pick it up. What do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO? They're going for it. And they didn't get it. That's a hell of a spot. I didn't think he was close. Simms: "I'm a pretty conservative guy when it comes to these fourth down decisions..." YOU DON'T SAY. The Pats made up for the last one by stopping this one. BALANCE! Why does LeGarrette Blount return kickoffs? He's not fast at all. The Steelers' secondary is getting torn apart. This is ridiculous. Antonio Brown got free and kept the Steelers in this game for the immediate future. Of course, now Brady's going back to work. You can set your watch by it. Steelers needed that turnover. They didn't need that sack. Nice recovery! Bell is the Steelers' best player. Cotchery again! Seriously, is it 2008? Foxborough-area barns are on fire right now. Can I state again how horrible the Steelers' secondary has been today? It's like they can't see these guys. Why'd the Steelers cut Mesko? Especially before this game? Brady's gone into MurderDeathKill mode and is making this defense look older than it already is (and it already looked old) This was historically bad. I mean really. Look it up. (Patriots 55, Steelers 31)


This line (Colts by 2) is WAY too low. That is EXACTLY what the Texans needed. Apparently we're not going to cover receivers tonight. Nope, still not bothering.

How many blocked field goals have there been today? And a return on top of it! Watt got that one, too? McAfee getting that punt off after all that may be the most impressive thing that happens tonight. And the re-kick was almost blocked! Flag? Anyone? Good job, Al, for pointing that out. CASE KEENUM HAS BROUGHT ANDRE JOHNSON BACK FROM THE DEAD. Whoa! I recognize those horns!



Was that HUGE cheer for Bush 41? Is he on screen? The Texans are as jacked as the Colts were against the Broncos. The Colts aren't helping themselves with all of these drops. How is that not a fumble? Pagano should have challenged that. Well that kick wasn't even close. Yeah, that's interference — Jackson pulled him down. This is the best chance the Colts have had all night but they cannot protect Luck. Sure, kick the field goal, why not. That's ALSO a fumble and it should stand. I mean, I can't overturn it, if that's what you're asking. Oh WOW.


The Colts are stunned. That's two fumbles they probably should have gotten. Johnson just dropped a third touchdown. This kid runs, too?! And there's Johnson again with a makeup catch — the defender mistimed his jump.

What the... what? They're taking Gary Kubiak off on a stretcher? Good Lord. Hope he's all right, especially on the heels of the John Fox news from the weekend. You know who's not having a good game is Andrew Luck. The Colts' two biggest plays have been Texans penalties and Houston's defensive front is destroying everything in its path. Hilton lost his shoe and gained a touchdown. Nice grab by DeAndre Hopkins.

MISDIRECTION. Keenum's all "Oh, look! Green for days!" Does Ben Tate always run only to the right side? The Texans should probably invest in a kicker. THE HILTON IS OPEN FOR CHECK-IN. (Did I do that right?) Challenge this, Chuck. CHALLENGE IT. There you go. Well, looking at it, it's a catch. But you still have to challenge it. What is going ON down there?!?! The officiating has been brutal tonight. Finally, Luck's getting time. Colts take the lead! Then Luck throws into double coverage and Fleener somehow comes down with it for the two-point conversion. All right, now what? This is just inexperience here. Oh God... they're asking this guy to make a 55-yarder when he's already missed two tonight?


Not even close. Told you that line was too low. (Colts 27, Texans 24)

Ah, the classics. Rodgers took a hard hit on that sack. Why would you try to fake a reverse to somebody besides Devin Hester? Rodgers is going into the locker room? Can Matt Flynn be signed and activated by halftime? The Packers' current backup is Seneca Wallace, and that was a long road just to get to that point. And if Rodgers can't go, this becomes a lot more interesting.

Marshall just dropped a touchdown. He caught that one, though.

Julius Peppers may be slowing down but he can still do some things. Terrible throw by Wallace, though — Peppers was right in front of him. SPECIAL TEAMS. Did Conte just not feel like tackling Starks there? When did Martellus Bennett stop sucking? That was too close. Forte! Fantasy points for me! Get out of there, McCown. Which one are you, even? Josh, right? Michael Bush may be the best backup running back in the league. Tim Jennings isn't bringing down Eddie Lacy by himself. Good Lord that hole was massive.
ONSIDE KICK. That may be the Packers' best shot now because Wallace has looked like a guy who hasn't played in two years. It should be noted that the Bears are so thin on their defensive line, they signed Jay Ratliff, who was cut by the equally DL-deficient Cowboys and is currently injured.

DON'T EVEN JOKE. Josh McCown is tearing things up. What world is this? I mean, if you're the Bears, don't you have to cover Nelson to the exclusion of everything else right now? Getting conflicting reports on Rodgers — some say separated shoulder, some aren't saying anything. Fourth and 1, 7:50 left, the Bears have a decision to make. They're going for it! Or at least they're not punting. Don't get fancy! Whew, Forte made it. Marshall's dropped a few tonight. And now they've chewed up five minutes of clock. Why hasn't McCarthy called time out yet? Ah, there it is. Bears up seven now. Homeboy just did the robot after a sack. What happens if something happens to Wallace? (Bears 27, Packers 20)

RANKINGS:
TOP 4:
1. Kansas City (9-0):

2. Denver (7-1): Wait and see
3. Seattle (8-1): Did you really think the Bucs were going to pick them off in their building?
4. San Francisco (6-2): Beware

BOTTOM 4:
29. Pittsburgh (2-6): It's BAD, folks
30. Minnesota (1-7): On the receiving end of a Romo
31. Tampa Bay (0-8): You were waiting for them to screw it up
32. Jacksonville (0-8): Would L.A. even want this franchise?

Friday, October 19, 2012

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 6: Form and Dysfunction


And that bad decision was "trusting Shaun Suisham from 54 yards," which should be done approximately never. (Titans 26, Steelers 23)

Signal Finder: DET @ PHI, NE @ SEA, BUF @ AZ (end) NYG @ SF, MIN @ WAS (end)

Nice runback, Jacoby Jones. Now why did you bring it out from eight yards deep in the end zone in the first place? Felix Jones lives! Wasn't that the same play as the touchdown pass? And Dez caught that one and dropped this one? Wild. They got the onside kick! What in the name of... why would you throw a quick slant there? Why not go farther down the field? What is it lately with these coaches asking their kickers to try ridiculously long field goals? The Cowboys deserved this loss just for that. (Ravens 31, Cowboys 29)

I'm Sorry You Had To See That: Buccaneers 38, Chiefs 10

Somebody screwed up that snap and it wasn't Michael Vick. That's a big pass interference penalty. Touchdown. Seems like the Eagles have been running fewer screens since Vick took over. No Jason Peters is probably a factor there also. Security let Ricky Watters in? Wow. Eagles have come out with a good drive here. Celek needs to catch that. It occurs to me that that's the first time I've heard Calvin Johnson's name mentioned, and it's for arguing for a pass interference call after the ball was past him. Get up, LeSean. Please? Bryce Brown's done more to help the Eagles this year than Ronnie Brown did all of last year. And McCoy's back in. That's a forward pass. That's a touchy flag right there.


These field goals bug me. So apparently Cox punched the guy on the extra point and that's why he got tossed. Oh, Vick. That should have been a touchdown. Big stop on 3rd down there. Maclin! That's how you beat this team, and especially today when the running game hasn't worked at all. This game has suddenly gone completely off the rails, and it's coincided with Megatron finally getting on them. Tony Scheffler? Why is Tony Scheffler beating anyone deep? Nice three and out, guys. sarcasm Apparently this is what the Lions do these days. Overtime? Dear Lord. What are the new rules again? Not that it'll matter if that's how you're going to start. I've been a fan of this team for about 30 years, and people who have followed it in that time have seen a lot of bad offensive line play. This game has been among the worst I've ever seen. The Eagles are now punting from about their 7-yard line and this game could be over in five plays. Well, six if you count the actual kick. (Lions 26, Eagles 23, OT)


Apparently whatever happened to the Eagles' defense in the fourth quarter made its way to Philly from Cleveland, where it had finished humiliating the Bengals. How do you give up 34 points to that collection of stiffs? (Browns 34, Bengals 24)

It's a good thing for the Redskins that 1) Griffin broke off that big run at the end, and 2) regulation isn't five minutes longer. Because without both of those conditions, they probably lose. (Redskins 38, Vikings 26)

Let's go bigger picture here: Pete Carroll knows defense. He got his first NFL head coaching job off of knowing defense. If you lined up all the USC guys he sent to the NFL, offense on one side, defense on the other, the defensive players have been better pros by a mile. That's why Brady somehow got called for intentional grounding before the half. That's why he had to throw 58 times. That's why the Pats were 1-for-6 inside the red zone. That's not why Sidney Rice was able to burn the safety on what became the game-winning touchdown (the reason for that is that Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli relied on each other more then even they realized.) The Seahawks won this game the way the Patriots used to win this game. (Seahawks 24, Patriots 23)

That's such a Cardinals way to lose. (Bills 19, Cardinals 16, OT)


This Week It Sucks To Be: 1. Alex Rodriguez; 2. Nick Swisher; 3. Dallas Reynolds; 4. Demetress Bell; 5. Philip Rivers

Ladies and gentlemen, the last 12 years of Chargers football, summed up in one game. (Broncos 35, Chargers 24)

RANKINGS
TOP 4:
1. Atlanta (6-0) - Just getting it done
2. Houston (5-1) - An inauspicious Sunday Night debut
3. Baltimore (5-1) - Defensive losses will hurt going forward
4. Chicago (4-1) - No points to be had here

BOTTOM 4:
29. Oakland (1-4) - Let a big win slip away
30. Jacksonville (1-4) - What's that in the distance? Oh, nothing
31. Cleveland (1-5) - At least they won't go 0-16
32. Kansas City (1-5) - Well, that went as expected

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 11: Beat The Clock

GUNSLINGER. This may be the Jets' biggest win since the merger. It's at least top 5. (Jets 34, Patriots 31, OT)

Signal Finder:
PHI @ CIN, BAL @ NYG, DEN @ ATL (end), HOU @ IND (end), SD @ PIT

Oh, Sage. Will you ever stop sucking? (Colts 33, Texans 27)

Wow, the Ravens' defense just got gashed big-time. 20-0 before anything happens? So much for stopping the run. Where's Jacobs been since then? That's an unfortunate bounce. The more I watch the Giants the more unfathomable that loss to Cleveland seems. And what's getting overlooked somewhat is how maligned that offensive line was only two or three seasons ago. (Giants 30, Ravens 10)

And Donovan's starting erratically again. Wow. Haven't seen that in a while. The Bengals' goal line offense looks like the Eagles'. McNabb's throws have nothing on them. There's no zip, no height, nothing. Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick's getting pounded and the Great Ocho Cinco Freezeout Of 2008 continues. Seriously, why does Reid keep calling pass plays when the only guys worth a damn on the Bengals' defense are the two corners? Wait, whoa! What? That hit on Chatman didn't look that bad - Mikell just stood him straight up. Okay, this is really bad. And it just got worse. Good thing it's the Bengals. T.J. started out returning punts for them, right? Really? They've been that bad on third downs? Wow, the Eagles made a fourth-and-short. Stop the presses. And the field goal's the right move here - you have to get points. The Eagles should be coming after this punt, and yes, I know how bad the Bengals' offense has been today. Are you kidding me with overtime? And what's with the Eagles getting all these penalties all of a sudden? This game's gonna end in a tie (6:45 left) because the offenses haven't gotten any better. Fourth and 1 from their own 22. The Eagles should probably go for it, but they're not going to make it - they haven't made it all year - and when they don't make it, they're going to lose because the Bengals' field goal team is coming right out. Now it's the Bengals who should be trying to block this punt. Yeah, that was not roughing the passer. And some more questionable play calling as they decide to run the ball on 3rd down with a crappy RB instead of a quick pass to get closer. Oh. My. God. I know it's 47 yards but that guy's good. Seriously, that's such a Bengals way to... not win. (Interestingly, this happened 11 years to the day of the last Eagles tie.) I'd like to officially apologize to everyone who got sent to this game after their Fox game ended. Kenny Albert: "Nobody knows how to react!" This should never have happened. (Eagles 13, Bengals 13, OT)

Spencer Larsen is a man among men. Was it really that smart to do the 10th anniversary of the Super Bowl team with the team that beat them in the building? (Broncos 24, Falcons 20)

Wow. Maybe the Rams really were that bad. (49ers 35, Rams 16)

Is that snow? There's no way he caught that. Actually, wait. Wow. That is an interception to end all interceptions. Get rid of the football, Philip. Seriously. So much for the snow being a factor. It's already gone. If this game ends 8-7 I will laugh and laugh. Seriously, here was your scoring progression: 7-0, 7-2, 7-5, 8-7, 10-8, 11-10. I blame Norv. What is this foolishness now? What? Does it count or doesn't it? Amazingly, I'm still not sure. (Steelers 11, Chargers 10)

All blessings to the mighty Saint Anthony. Go 'Skins! One wonders how this new funky delivery's going to help Romo's ball control. Of course, he can make it easy on himself by just handing off to Barber 70 times. The Redskins are really locking in on T.O. Oops. Welcome to D.C., DeAngelo. Not much going on so far. Ouch. Owens got drilled and that's an unfortunate bounce. And here's Madden to disagree strongly with another replay decision. I'm not convinced Darcy Johnson and Martellus Bennett aren't the same person. Guess we'll have to hold off on those epitaphs. Damn it. (Cowboys 14, Redskins 10)

This Week It Sucks To Be: 1. Shayne Graham; 2. Donovan McNabb; 3. Rian Lindell; 4. Any officials working a Charger game; 5. Chris Perry.

Paging J.P. Losman. And the Browns are so bad they only got six points off of three first-quarter interceptions. Take some notes: when your quarterback's thrown three interceptions, the handoff is probably the best play to call for a while. And it's working, as Edwards has definitely settled down. That's a long run. Who is Jerome Harrison? Who are these people? Bills special teams! Did that pick get overturned or something? It must've. Fifty-six! Well, all right then. crosses off Bills (Browns 29, Bills 27)

FANTASY REPORT

aPaFL (4-7, W1): We beat Ska's team. Ska's 2-9 team. Big whoop.

JackSux 5 (5-6, L3): Lee Evans can't catch one pass against the Browns? Really? Really? crosses off Seagulls

RANKINGS

TOP 3:
1. N.Y. Giants (9-1) - Reporter: "What's it like getting tackled by Ray Lewis?" Brandon Jacobs: "I wouldn't know."
2. Tennessee (10-0) - crosses off Jaguars
3. Carolina (8-2) - Sneaky good

BOTTOM 3:
30. St. Louis (2-8) - So much for the renaissance
31. Cincinnati (1-8-1) - At least they haven't given up?
32. Detroit (0-10) - Can't even win a catfight

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